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Monday, November 6, 2017

Standing on the side of love is a vision for a way of life

Religion is based on tradition and doctrine. Spirituality is based on experience and love. Which do you prefer?

It might be asked, "Can I have both?" The answer at first, if one is reasonable, appears to be "yes," but in practice love must trump tradition and doctrine every time for an authentic spiritual life. Jesus said that the way to heaven is "to love as I have loved." What did Jesus mean by that?

Jesus came to eschew tradition and doctrine in favor of love and they killed him as a threat to the organizations of the day. Jesus' life teaches us that we can't have both. There is only one choice, and He clearly tells us it is love. You will find peace when you chose rightly, chose love.

Unitarian Universalism has a slogan, "Standing on the side of love." This isn't just about social justice issues, this slogan is a vision for a way of life. The slogan captures the message of Jesus and many other enlightened beings.

3 comments:

Thanks for this. Standing on the side of love is a vision of another way of life not just a position on a social justice issue. I hope that this vision spreads to all people who covenant together to create a different kind of world than the one controlled by the ego.

God bless your work Helen. I always look forward to your comments. I couldn't agree with this comment more. If more UUs shared this vision and made it a part of their congregational life, the church would flourish.

Jesus said that you cannot serve two masters. Jesus said in Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." Not that I can one up Jesus but I think He might have meant not just money, but the ego. People cannot serve power, or sex, or any of the other things which the ego idolizes.